I am in Atlanta. It's 2 AM and my belly is sore from laughing. My arms are sore from driving and my pedicure-for-the-first-time-in-like-ever feet are sore from walking all over ATL looking for Mair's shoes.
Yes, she lost them.
Twice.
After the second time, I became convinced that there was some spiritual significance (besides Mair and I discovering the need for velcro ankle straps and thus ensuring our financial futures) in the recurring disappearances of these shoes.
"Maybe God is trying to tell you something. You're going to walk on new paths. Maybe you won't even need shoes..."
We were sleepy, laughing and probably looking like two barefoot crackheads unwilling to pay for another ten-dollar cab to get around the block. In the meantime, we met "G" the doorman downstairs, yet another Nigerian cabbie willing to kick me some knowledge about my family background during the ride (I'll blog about my NY angel-cabbie from BEA someday) and lots of beautiful smart people at the Christy awards.
It was an amazing deal (once I got there, don't ask). Everybody looked like prom for grown ups and smelled good and had great first lines for their books. Phylis Tickle speaks with eloquence and wisdom that make me want to listen to her for hours. She won a lifetime acheivement award for all she's done for Christian fiction and it was quite a lengthy list. Michelle McKinney Hammond was a beautiful and funny MC and Lauren Winner was uplifting and gracious.
I'd list all the winners, but I'm sleepy and I think I'm having my first hot flash or something so I'd better sign off and go fan myself. Mair has all her shoes (Austin Boyd rescued the first shoe after the Christys). Anyway, pray that Mair and I don't lose anything tomorrow (including our minds). Today was beautiful and deep and painful and hard and silly and fun. Serious fun.
PS. If I saw you at dinner and was out of it forgive me. Sequins take me to my happy place and they were everywhere. I'll be lucid by Monday. :) Also, pray that I'll figure out the camera. I have no shots of Mair's catwoman leopard dress or Lisa Samson's leggy skirt. Camy had on a great Asian outfit. Everyone was shingy and pretty. Like Christmas ribbon. Okay, I know. Bed.
You two are just wrong. Glad to see y'all last night. Good thing we didn't sit together. I would have been laughing harder than I was where I was sitting. :)
Posted by: Dee Stewart | July 08, 2007 at 05:33 PM
Dee,
It was so good to see you too! You looked beautiful and as usual were like a cool drink of water with that pretty smile. Tell Selah I loved her purse! Thank you friend for walking us to the car. :)
Posted by: Mair | July 08, 2007 at 06:22 PM
I'm glad you guys had a great time. Maybe someday I'll get there. But I'm teaching at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers conference in August, and we're moving our church into the new building...and I'm really involved in the renovations so I didn't have it in my schedule to be gone a lot this summer!
Posted by: Bonnie Calhoun | July 08, 2007 at 11:45 PM
Mary, you make EVERYthing sound like so much fun. You're just a walkin' blessin'!
Posted by: Jess | July 09, 2007 at 06:19 PM
Hey Mary! Let's talk about Africa in January. When are you available? Loved meeting you at ICRS, it was just way too quick!
Posted by: Tom Davis | July 12, 2007 at 11:42 PM
I love reading your blogs! Your style is so refreshing and fun! Love ya!
tina
Posted by: Tina Gilbert | July 27, 2007 at 06:52 AM